In the case of the Asus ROG G752VS-XB78K Overclocked Edition (starts at $1,999; $2,999 as tested), it's what's inside that counts. This isn't a perfect system, and at a glance there's not much distinguishing it from its predecessor, the Asus ROG G752VT-DH72. But it is one of the first gaming laptops to feature Nvidia's latest Pascal-based video cards, which translates to graphics processing power that can rival that of a desktop. If you want a new laptop now and price doesn't matter, you should seriously consider the G752VS-XB78K.

Design and FeaturesBecause the G752VS and the earlier G752VT are so similar, in this review we're going to focus on what sets them apart. For a more in-depth look at the design, read our review of the G752VT-DH72.

Visually, the only difference between the two is that the grille for the cooling vent in the back is red instead of black. The G752VS-XB78K is heftier, weighing 9.92 pounds, as opposed to the G752VT-DH72's 8.8 pounds—not really significant, as both laptops are heavy enough that their portability is a technicality. Lastly, the keyboard in the G752VS-XB78K has significantly more flex on the left and right sides than its predecessor. And considering the higher price tag, it's disappointing to see any kind of decline in build quality—even if what you're really paying for are the souped-up components inside. Some gamers might find this to be a minor quibble, but if you're an aggressive typist or key masher, this is hard to ignore.

The display on the G752VS also remains the same size (17.3 inches) and resolution (1,920 by 1,080), and it uses In-Plane Switching technology for superior viewing angles and has an antiglare coating. As far as ports go, the G752VS has plenty of options. On the left side, you'll find two USB 3.0 ports, an optical drive, the Kensington security slot, and a two-in-one card reader. The right side houses the power and Ethernet jacks, an HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort connector, another two USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C with Thunderbolt 3 port, and headphone, line-out, and microphone jacks. The G752VS also comes with both a 512GB solid-state drive and a 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive. In the top bezel, there's a 1.2-megapixel webcam. For connectivity, the laptop has dual-band 802.11ac wireless and Bluetooth.

PerformanceUnder the hood, the G752VS-XB78K sports a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-6820HK processor, an 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card, and 64GB of memory. With the ROG Gaming Center software installed, the default profile for overclocking is set to Extreme mode. What this means is that out of the box, the CPU is set to turbo as high as 3.6GHz when all four cores are active, though you can decrease this speed to 3.2GHz by switching to Standard mode or increase it as high as 4GHz using Manual mode. (Note: Asus tells us that initial shipments of the G752VS-XB78K may have an older version of the Gaming Center software that you will need to update yourself.)

In Extreme mode, the GPU is also overclocked by an additional 50MHz, and can also be maxed out (up 100MHz from stock speeds) in Manual mode. Out of the box, the RAM is also overclocked to 2,400MHz from a base of 2,133MHz. Unlike the CPU and GPU, however, the RAM can't be adjusted further in Manual Mode. For benchmark testing, we stuck with the default Extreme mode settings.

The G752VS-XB78K scored 3,865 points on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional test, which is marginally lower than we saw from the Origin EON17-X (3,936). The closeness in scores here makes sense, as these are both overclocked systems with Intel 6th Generation Core processors. The EON17-X sports a 4GHz desktop-class Intel Core i7-6700K processor that's been overclocked to 4.5GHz, which explains why it performed slightly better. It also makes sense that the G752VS-XB78K edges out its non-overlocked competitors, like the G752VT-DH72 (3,571), the Acer Predator 15(G9-591-74KN) (3,382), the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro(002)(3,255), and the MSI GT72 Dominator Pro G-1438 (3,726).

The laptop also performed well on multimedia tasks, needing 1 minute, 1 second, to finish the HandBrake encoding test, and scoring 728 points on CineBench. It also finished the Photoshop test in 2:46. These scores are in line with what we've seen from rival gaming laptops, though the Asus falls slightly short of the EON17-X on all fronts (0:58 on HandBrake, 2:36 on Photoshop, and 873 on CineBench).

But most important for a gaming laptop is how well it handles 3D graphics and gaming—and it's here where you can see the impact of the GTX 1070. On the 3DMark Cloud Gate and Fire Strike Extreme tests, it posted impressive scores of 29,082 and 7,590 points. In the Heaven and Valley tests run at full HD resolution with the highest graphical settings, it attained 103 frames per second (fps) and 104fps, respectively. This is well above the results from the Acer Predator (53fps in Heaven, 59fps in Valley) and the MSI GT72 (52fps in Heaven, 57fps in Valley). Given that 30fps is considered acceptable and 60fps is "good" on gaming laptops and desktops, the G752VS's results are remarkable. We tested an EON17-X with an Nvidia GTX 980M graphics card configured at $2,692, and it managed 54fps in Heaven and 60fps in Valley. So compared with the previous generation of gaming laptops, an extra 50 to 60fps for $300 is a pretty good deal. The only laptop we've tested that gives the G752VS a run for its money is the MSI GT62 VR 6RE Dominator Pro, which also has an Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics card; it reached 97fps in Heaven and 89fps in Valley, and while it has a smaller display, it costs $1,000 less than the G752VS.

To put things further into perspective, the Maingear X-Cube Z170, our Editors' Choice for small-form-factor gaming desktops, managed 118fps on Heaven and 130fps in Valley at a configuration price of $2,930. Long story short: While it won't beat out a $10,000 gaming system, the G752VS-XB78K definitely trounces other gaming laptops and even some desktops.

With gaming laptops, you typically sacrifice battery life for performance. In our rundown test, the G752VS petered out after 3 hours, 48 minutes. That's respectable, as many gaming laptops struggle to last longer than 2 or 3 hours. The EON17-X, for example, lasted a mere 2:49, while the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro only lasted 2:31.The MSI GT62 slightly edged out the G752VS at 3:55, but a 7-minute difference isn't much.

ConclusionAside from a quibble about keyboard flex and the $3,000 price, it's easy to recommend the Asus G752VS-XB78K for the dedicated gamer who can afford it. You get what you pay for, and it's hard to argue against performance that rivals what you get from gaming desktops. It's also true that there's not much competition out there—yet. In the coming months, there are sure to be less expensive and thinner laptops with the same Pascal graphics cards. And if the price tag makes you balk, it might be prudent to either wait or opt for the MSI GT62, which offers similar performance and the same graphics card for $1,000 less. You'd be giving up some storage space and opting for a smaller 15-inch display, but that's not a terrible trade-off. But if waiting isn't really your thing and you don't mind shelling out? Then by all metrics, the G752VS-XB78K delivers.

About the Author

Victoria Song is the wearables and smart home analyst at PCMag. Since graduating from Temple University?s Japan Campus in 2010, she's been found reporting and editing in every corner of the newsroom at The ACCJ Journal, The Japan News, and New York bureau of The Yomiuri Shimbun. In her spare time, she bankrupts herself going to theater, buying expa... See Full Bio

Asus ROG G752VS-XB78K Overclock...

Asus ROG G752VS-XB78K Overclocked Edition

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